Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-31
BOTETOURT.
soxE "REMINISCENCES OF TIE FIELD
or azTTYsBuRg.
Botetourt Men In Piotettrs Division
The Men Of Company K, Fifty-seveath
Virgins Eegiment-0thsrH News.


Virgins Eegiment-0 News.
Correspondence Of tho Richmond Dispatch.l
FIScAsrLR, Va, March 20, 1887.
So far as l have been able to learn
this county will not be largely repre-
sented at Gettysburg on July 3D. next.
Captain William Brewbaker thinks OF
attending the rennion. Sergeant L. j.
Shickle, of Salem, formerly OF Bote-
touIt, writes me that there will be
good turnout from Roanoke county.
Ibis county furnished no less than SIX
companies to Pickett's division, and
many brave Botetourt boy marchod
to his death up Cemetery Hill. Here
the gallant young captain OF the Fin
castle Rifles, acting major OF the
Eleventh, David Gardner Houston, loI
his life. But of those who rendered
the charge OF Pickett's division n
mortal, perhaps none suffered more
severely. none bore themselves
more calamity, than Company X,
of the Fifty-seyenth Virginia, Armi-
stead's brigade. This company was
organized under the following circum
stances John j. Allen, son Of the dis
tinguished president OF the Court of
Appeals and author of the famous
HO.etourt resolutions, was practicing
law in Texas at the breaking out OF the
war. Determining to share the for
tunes Of his native State, he set out for
Virginia. Arriving, after many Diff
culties, in his native county, he under
took the task in July, 1861, OF raising
an infantry company. Already the
field had been CLEANED before him, and
he tells NE that for the first dozen men
he averaged one hundred miles OF
riding. In August no reported to
headquarters with one hundred men.
At the battle of Malvern Hill Captain
Allen (since Judge Allen lost his right
arm, and shortly thereafter resignedthe
command. At Gettysburg the company
was led into the charge by Captain J.
Il. Taylor, who, falling with ball
through his breast, left the company in
charge of the first and second Geuten-
ants, the Styne brothers DANES NJ. and
Andrew Jackson). The last their COM
rades saw OF the brave brothers they
were sealing the stone fence, cheering
their men on to the assault. OF the
forty-seven braves who went into the
charge fourteen were killed and are
now sleeping in unknown graves one
died of wounds, twenty were wounded.
and five captured. Only three returned
from that fearful carnage unhurt Mr..
T. J. Shickle, who was one Of the three,
writes me:
"Our company was in Armistead's
brigade the other Botetourt companies
were in the brigades composing the
first line. We lay in lower part of
the field than the other two brigades,
and about two hundred yards in rear,
and formed the second line of battle.
The remnant of our company went to
the stone fence Of the cemetery. The
writer went across the fence beyond the
artillery. Finding that many OF our
men were firing from behind this fence,
/ returned to the line behind the fence
and remained there until the enemy en-
filaded our line with musketry. Find
ing all was lost we returned through
charge almost as fearful as the advance,
and many fell in the retreat also. BY
one shell from the round hill ten of our
men were killed and wounded"
Here are the names of the men
whose blood helped to enrich Gettys-
burg's field OF renown: Killed-First-
Lieutenant James NJ. Styne, Second
Lieutenant A. J. Styne, A. J. Bierly,
A. II. johnson, L. Malone, w. w.
Scott, w. J. Wilcher, G. Winger, NJ.
V. b. Winger, j. II. Huse, Stephen
Redman, Abraham Burger, A. j. b.
Allen, William Hill, and William
Lemon. Wounded-Captain j. Is.
Taylor, Thomas l.. Mays, S. ID. Bierly,
J. X. Broughman, III. W. Mullen, John
Dill, o. H. Owens, A. T. Linkenhoker,
G. Il. Linkenhoker, w. L. Lipes, J. L.
Lockett, j. H. McAllister, J. NJ. Peery,
NJ. N. Peery, J. M. McCormic, 4. L.
Sheets, j. Whitmer, W. II. Booze, C.
7. Stanley, and J. A. Scott.
Captain Taylor was afterwards killed
near Chester Station, May 10, 1864,
and his remains are inferred in the
graveyard of Mr.. l.. Housmsn, ST.,
near jackson, in this county.
The remains of James +. Dull ar
rived here to-day from Williamsburg
and were inferred in tho Methodist
cemetery, Rev. r. r. Houston officia-
ting. Mr.. Dull was a man Of strict in
tegrity and highly esteemed by his
many friends. For thirty-odd years he
was a well-known stage-driver in this
section Of Virginia, and many people
will hear Of his death with sorrow. A
few years ago he quit the stage bust
ness and purchased O farm in this
county. Until recently he was man
of unusual vigor of mind and body,
but about twelve months ago q dark
cloud came over his mind which was
never lifted. He leaves a wife and
several children.
The late Or. George W. Bagby in a
letter to the State OF July ~, 1879, has
| this to say of deceased Mr. Dull
drives the mail-coach. Dull is sharp
nay, he is q philosopher. We dis
coursed much on life and on religion,
our views in the main concurTing. He
has been driving for twenty-eight years,
and never passenger Of his received a
scratch. He speaks his mind. At
tempting vainly to hold his horses
while he dashed cold water on them, he
exclaimed: Doctor, you amt got any
more strength that q hea.' / didn't tell
him so. but l thought his feas must be
bodied feas. He gave me good
new word. Speaking of Virginians, he
said that they were the most do-less
| people in the world"
The wheat prospect is very poor.
Hardly half crop seeded, much of
that frozen out, and the land upon
which it should have stood has been
broken up and put in oats. And the
lsauestion now is, "What will the har-
| vest be 2" But we are learning some
thing, and each year increases the num-
her of cattle and fruit trees on our hill
Sides. ACTON.
Ahs.tempf 10 Poison am Actress.